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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — a path
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rush — hurry
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tear — from crying

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com